The Crewship - Quest for Arcadia
by AWeirdLisa
Summary: After seven years the Crew, consisting of Fluke, Rage, Hollow and Evanz, manages to get their ship back and is preparing to live their desired pirate life again. As they are enjoying the fights and plundering, they stumble upon a very interesting quest that sends them far away from their hometown.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

A soft thud could be heard every time the stamp hit the wax on the old parchment. A small seal was being pressed into the warm material. It had the shape of a Z with a lot of fancy curls, surrounded by what looked like bay leaves.

"There, that's another trading agreement sealed", mister Zippie sighed. "Was that all the paperwork for today or are there other flatterers I have to grant permission because it's oh-so-important? As governor of Banlao I really deserve a break now and then."

The other figure present stood nervously in the corner of the room. He opened his mouth as he was about to say something, but a deafening sound coming from downstairs interrupted him. Zippie got up, startled by the abrupt change of situation.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? MINEOS! Go find out whoever this imbecile might be, who is slamming MY doors, so I can teach him a lesson in respect!" Zippie slammed his fist on the old wooden desk, causing a picture frame to fall over. He picked it off the floor and placed it back on the exact same spot as it always was. As Mineos left the room, Zippie dug up a small mirror from one of the drawers and corrected a few wild hairs of his white wig.

The door opened wide again and Mineos hesitated to come in. He swallowed and took a deep breath, then entered Zippie's office.

"Excuse me sir, there is someone who would like to speak to you. He says it is quite urgent. Should I let him in?" he said carefully.

"You know you can call me Zippie, Mineos. You're a good friend of mine." Zippie frowned, sat down and stored the mirror in the drawer. "Who might this stranger be? You know I do not welcome nonsense, I have too much paperwork to handle and not enough time!"

"But do you have enough time to help out an old friend?" a tall character with a deep voice asked, as he was dragged into the room by two royal guards. Around his wrists he was wearing rusty cuffs that looked like they could fall apart any moment. A sizable hat flattened most of his long hairs but still added to the entire look he had going on. Hanging by his side was an empty scabbard, accompanied by an also empty holster, hanging on the same belt. Between his lips he was balancing a cigar.

"Say, you let your buddy over here handle the papercuts and wax burns, so we can have a little chat? How about that?" he said ever so nonchalantly. "I mean … you DO owe me one after all."

"Mineos", Zippie said very slowly. "Would you be so kind to close the door behind the guards? Thank you." He took off his wig and placed it on top of the head of a mannequin. The two guards went outside, leaving only Zippie, Mineos and the unexpected guest in the office. Zippie started to laugh very loudly, nearly to the point of crying of laughter. Mineos sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He never enjoyed lying in front of royal guards.

"So", Zippie got up and shook the man's hand firmly, followed by a smile. "What the hell did you do this time? It has been a long time since I've seen you."

"Well, you know me; I had some quarrel with a very charming lady. Wait no - not with a lady - with a guy that sat next to this lady. Yes, he was sitting right next to her as I was offering her something to drink, the gentleman I am. Apparently he turned out to be her husband, so he continued to hit me with any glass object he could find. We fought and the royal guard dragged me away and here we are! I can't remember much of it though."

Zippie grinned and took place behind his desk. "I know you claim to be a pirate, but really, drinking a lot and causing people to fight in a bar isn't-" He went quiet mid-sentence and stared at his desk for a few seconds.

"You've … helped me many times, Fluke. I know this. You nearly gave your life to save mine, I appreciate that. You're my oldest friend. And I do owe you a reward. … I might have what you desire." He opened up a scroll and showed it to Fluke. "As your friend, I want you to have your ship back. It is yours and it is still in the same condition as you left it last time. But you have to promise me that you won't stray off the right path. Alright?"

Fluke shrugged and mumbled: "Fine, so I can have my ship back now? After all those years?"

Zippie confirmed this by pressing his seal onto the document he held. He walked up to Fluke and handed it over. After a brief conversation with the guards, Fluke was released of the cuffs. He reached out to hug Zippie by surprise. Whilst doing so he looked at Mineos and said: "Take care of this guy, alright? He's a good guy." Mineos nodded and opened the immense front door.

Fluke ran off as soon as he got the documents from his friend. He was joined by a small group of people at the end of the street. Zippie turned around and closed the door behind him, following Mineos back to the office, ready to get some more paperwork done.

"That guy, Mineos, was an old friend of mine. I haven't seen him in seven years since the moment he lost his ship."

"But how did he lose his ship? You said he sold it?" Mineos was curious.

"Well, that's a long story, Mineos. I'll tell you some day. But not now, we've got paperwork to complete!" The door of the office slammed shut behind the two friends as they continued their everyday life on the beautiful island called Banlao.

"You got it?! For real?! Wow! I'm impressed dude!" Rage shouted optimistically.

"Guys, guys, he told me to 'stay on the right path' and as we have an agreement, I can't just throw that away. Not his trust, it's too valuable.

"What?" the shortest of the group complained. "You can't mean that! He can't, right guys?"

One of the guys rolled his eyes and jumped on his horse. "See you at the docks guys." As he rode off, his long black coat fluttered behind him in the wind.

"See you later, Hollow!" Rage shouted and waved.

Fluke, ignoring Rage's shouting, removed his hat and put it on Evanz's head. "You should know me by now, Evanz, of course I'm not going to listen to him! What do you think! We're back in business; I can't wait to be a pirate again! Captain Fluke steering his beloved ship called the Crewship! I can't wait to see what she looks like. How I missed her, that beauty."

Rage, Fluke and Evanz continued to walk in the direction of the docks, all awaiting the rediscovery of their long-lost ship where they experienced so many adventures on.

"Let's visit our friends at Ribeiro", Fluke suggested with a large grin on his face.

"They probably missed us."


	2. Chapter 1: The Cutlass

**Chapter 1: The Cutlass**

Mezola's heart beat heavily in her chest as she ran across the deck, jumping over loose ropes and splintered wooden planks. One of the many cannonballs flew by, missing her head by a few inches. Everybody around her was screaming, but she could only hear half of it as her right ear was ringing from the many explosions. What started as a small fire was now engulfing the entire upper deck, forcing crewmembers to leap over the edge, taking a plunge in the freezing water. A storm generated howling waves, slamming into the ship now and then. Before she engaged a last sprint through the rain towards the wheel of the ship, a new volley of cannon shots hit the starboard of the ship, causing it to tilt heavily. She nearly fell overboard in the attempt of helping one of her friends, Robyn, who was clenching onto the nearest mast pole. Robyn, now in front of her and completely soaked, was yelling something but Mez couldn't understand what she said. A surge of water splashed on deck once the ship had tilted back. Then everything went quiet, no more cannonballs or no explosions, just the crackling sound of wood burning, and Mezola realised what Robyn tried to say. She got up and saw an enormous ship breaking through the fog, heading straight at them. Her eyes must've tricked her, there was no other way she was seeing this. She recognized the infamous figurehead on the massive Galleon, sharpened and ready to cleave through her precious corvette.

"IT'S THE CUTLASS!" Mezola yelled at the top of her lungs. "Everyone, grab your weapons and be prepared for a fight! We shall stand tall and defeat these bastards!" She noticed a few of the cannons were still operable so she shouted a final order to a few of the crewmembers: "FIRE THE CANNONS!"

Mezola pulled out her sword and pistol and walked the last few metres to the steering wheel, followed by Robyn and Molly, her two most trustworthy companions.

"Robyn, you take over the wheel, Molly and I will defend the upper decks." She said as the Cutlass was only a few metres away.

"Aye, captain!" Robyn confirmed determined.

"Mez, what do you want me to do? I can help!" The other girl had tried to convince her captain of giving her a weapon many times, but she had always been too young for the real deal. Practise lessons were always done with fake, wooden swords. She thought she was ready now.

Mezola hesitated, as she watched the Cutlass approaching rapidly. She bit her lower lip and stared at the colossal monster of a ship that was going to crash into them any second, wondering if she would actually hand over her sword.

"Come on! You need me now! Quick!" Molly urged her with panic resounding in her voice.

Mezola snapped out of her trance and threw Molly the belt with the sheath attached to it. As she turned her head back to the Cutlass, she yelled: "EVERYBODY HOLD ONTO SOMETH-"

The Cutlass crashed into the small corvette, cutting through the wooden constructions without any effort. Everyone who held onto a mast or rail in time, was thoroughly shaken, others just fell over the edges, flying through the air, and ended up in the dark ocean. As soon as the bow of the ship was driven far enough, the crewmembers of the Cutlass started jumping off, landing on the top deck of Mezola's ship. A massive fight erupted. The clashing of swords and the firing of pistols could be heard all around. After dealing with a few of the raiders she aimed at one of the scoundrels but once she realised who it was, she froze. Molly screamed for help as Robyn protected them with every bit of energy she had left.

 _It couldn't be._

The scoundrel was wearing a black hat with bright yellow feathers attached to it. His grey coat reached all the way down to his heels. Protecting his feet, were two heavy boots, covered in blood of all the victims his companions had made so far. A necklace was dangling from his neck, a small yellow and black C was attached to the chain. The character lifted his hand and seemed to be holding a pistol, aiming straight for Mezola from the middle of the ship.

"Curaxu?"

A small stream of warm blood oozed from her left shoulder as she dropped to her knees. With her right hand she tried to put pressure on the wound. The last thing she saw was the enemy leader turning his back to her, returning to his own vessel. Then everything went dark.

"Shit!" Molly dropped her sword and supported her captain and best friend. "Robyn! We have to get out of here! It's no use!"

Robyn supported Mezola on the other side. Together they got on a small escape boat. The burning wreckage that once was the beautiful pride of Mezola was now entirely being swallowed by the ocean. The Cutlass had disappeared into the mist again.

* * *

"Hoist the colours! Man the cannons! Make me proud!" The enthusiastic captain shouted.

"Could you please come down from the crow's nest Fluke? We could really use a hand here, loading in all the food and equipment for our journey." Evanz complained. They had been working all morning but Fluke hadn't even lifted a finger. Well, aside from the many flasks of wine and rum he had drunk.

"Okay", Fluke mumbled, clearly intoxicated. "But you have to call me captain from now on, you understand? I got a ship you know."

Evanz rolled his eyes and picked up another crate filled with clothes for on the way. In the meantime Rage and Hollow gathered all the crewmembers to distribute the ranks or roles Fluke had foreseen for every one of them.

"Hissey, buddy!" Rage pointed at one of the guys at the front of the group. "How's it going man? It's been a long time!"

"Rage, please can you just tell them what their positions are, everybody here is dying to get on the ship again, including me. Now please, continue." Hollow complained. He crawled on his horse and continued to lie down, enjoying the warm sunbeams settling on his face.

The people present were mostly old members that used to join the main crew consisting of Fluke, Rage, Evanz and Hollow. A couple of new faces, some older and some younger than others, were spotted. Fluke had asked Evanz the day before to spread the word that his men had to gather at Banlao Port for a meetup and reassignment of their tasks. Those interested had to be present in time. If they wanted they could bring along others who claimed to be intrigued and worthy of being a part of Fluke's group. The group could use some new members.

"Wait!" Someone from the crowd cut off the arguing between Hollow and Rage. "We're missing someone!"

"And who are you?" Rage asked, focussing his vision on the source of complaint.

"Name's Lex. And we're missing a person; he told me he'd be here, so you have to wait." The girl flicked her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

"Oh great, more waiting", Hollow sighed. "Who are we missing then?"

Fluke jumped off a crate and approached the group. "Well whoever it might be, they are late. We're departing in an hour so we have to continue. I was clear enough, be there or be square."

"WAIT!"

Everybody turned their heads in the direction of the sudden outcry. A figure was hurrying as fast as possible, towards the ship. He appeared to be carrying a large old sack across his shoulders. In his hand he held an old guitar. A bandana kept his long hair from blocking his sight. Only a few feet before Rage and Hollow, he fell to the ground. Clumsy as he was, he got up, dusted himself off and turned to Fluke.

"I apologise for being late Captain, I had to bring my guitar but it wasn't as easy as it seemed and…" he rambled on and on, apologising.

"Cane ... CANE! Dude, don't worry, you're fine! If I had known you weren't here yet, I would've told them to wait in the first place!" Fluke shook the guy's hand and guided him to the group. Once Cane was reunited with some of his friends, the captain sat down on a barrel so he had a clear overview.

"Alright, let me handle this myself. Rage?"

"Yes, here you go." Rage handed him a scroll and a feather. On the parchment a wide variety of tasks for on the ship was listed.

"Gunners?" Fluke commenced the process. A few people, including Evanz, raised their hand, meaning they volunteered. Evanz had always been gunner; he had a passion for cannons and was very skilled at handling them. Although it had been years since he fired one in an actual battle, he kept practising preparing and reloading one at his place. The seven quiet years where the crew had split up did him no good. They didn't do anyone any good.

"Alright, that is noted. Now … Cane, you'll provide music as always, together with a few others. That's settled. Does anyone want to take position in the crow's nest?" Fluke raised both eyebrows. Normally nobody was enthusiastic about this post since it could become very lonely up there. Hollow used to fill the spot, but Fluke needed him behind the steering wheel and in the mapping room now.

"I'll do it." A soft voice broke the silence.

Hollow dismounted and tried to get a good image of the person who suggested becoming his replacement. He snickered. There is no way this girl would actually take up the task in the crow's nest.

"What are youlooking at?"

"Nothing, are you sure you want to do this, uhm, what was your name again?"

"It's Lex and I'm very sure I know how to deal with this task since I've been doing it for years, thank you very much." She snapped her fingers and shook her head.

"Now, guys, there is absolutely no need to argue, everybody gets their chance." Fluke wrote down Lex's name and continued listing off the many tasks until eventually everyone had something to do. In less than an hour the Crewship was on its way, leaving Banlao Port behind.

* * *

"So, Fluke", Rage approached the man behind the steering wheel. "This is all pretty exciting, seven years! What did you do all that time?"

"Mostly hanging around pubs, getting involved in fights and causing trouble like always. You?"

"I've been practising on my sword fighting with Hollow. I think I'm getting the hang of it. At least that's what he said." Rage zoned out for a moment, staring at the horizon. "We went through some rough times though. In the end it turned out alright for the both of us, but anyways … I got myself a new sword, I'll show you later."

A silence fell over the two friends. The peaceful sounds of birds and waves were heavenly. Not so long after they were accompanied by Hollow, holding a map.

"So how is she doing up there, Hollow?" Fluke poked around, he liked annoying Hollow now and then.

Hollow shrugged, his face didn't give away any sign of annoyance. "She's doing fine, she has the experience so hey, I'm not complaining." He held up the map and pointed at one of the islands. "So you're sure we will be visiting our old friends?"

"Yes, Hollow, I am determined to go to Ribeiro. I have some unfinished business over there." Fluke's eyes were fixed on a cloud that was slowly sliding across the sky. "It's starting to become dark, do you mind taking over, Hollow? I'm going to get myself a bottle of whiskey. You want some too, Rage?"

"No thanks", Rage declined politely and walked off to the sleeping quarters.

A few nights later a storm caused fierce waves to crash into the boat. Heavy rainfall combined with a lot of wind made it very difficult for the crew to operate with ease. Fluke ran out of his cabin and headed straight to one of the lower floors.

"Evanz! Make sure the cannons are secure, we don't want any accidents happening!" He commanded whilst holding on to his hat, making sure it wouldn't be blown off by a strong breeze. "Let the others cover the gunpowder and crates with food supplies, they're useless when soaked."

"Right away, captain!" Evanz said and started helping others with the ropes.

A faint voice from above called out Fluke's and Rage's names, causing both of them to hurry to the upper deck.

"What is it Lex?" Rage shouted upwards, hoping she'd hear it.

"LOOK! Over there! It's a shipwreck!"

Everyone on the deck dropped whatever they were doing and turned around, leaning over the port side of the ship.

"What the hell happened to them ..." Rage muttered completely taken aback by what he saw.

"I'm not sure …" Fluke frowned. "This isn't good."

In the distance a ship was seen of which the remaining parts were either sinking or still burning. Bodies were floating near the wreckage.

"Let's see if there are any survivors."


	3. Chapter 2: Bright Yellow Feathers

**The Crewship: Quest for Arcadia**

 **Chapter 2: Bright Yellow Feathers**

A gentle knock on the door alerted Zippie. He sat straight up behind his desk, holding one of the many trading application documents of the day. In the meantime Mineos had been reading quite a lot on the subject of naval history in Banlao, candlelight revealed his face in the darkness the evening brought.

"Mineos, would you kindly?" Zippie hinted as he made a gesture towards the door.

His friend sighed, closed his book and got up. Another knock could be heard, but this time it came over as very impatient. On his tiptoes, looking through the small spyhole, he saw the messenger nervously pace back and forth, waiting to knock once more if necessary. Mineos scraped his throat and reached for the doorknob.

"Welcome to the town hall, what is your purpose of visiting?" he asked in a monotone way, as if he was reading a line from a piece of paper.

The words came fluently from the stranger: "Greetings, sir, I must speak to the governor, it concerns a private message from Captain Fluke." He took off his hat and walked inside, scanning the room cautiously.

Zippie rose up from his chair and greeted the man with a firm handshake. A moment of silence took over. The three men in the room felt a certain tension even before the cursed words were spoken.

"So what is it Fluke has to-" Zippie got cut off abruptly by a searing pain in his lower abdomen. He looked down and noticed a stain of red, growing larger on his clothes. The messenger had swiftly bridged the gap of space between himself and his opponent, the governor. A quick jab and he had done his job. He leaned in to whisper something in the wounded man's ear.

"You'll all face him soon."

A rush of adrenaline coming from Mineos caught the traitor off guard, he was pinned down and disarmed in no time. The two guards in the hall hurried upstairs as they heard the struggle in the office. Right as they entered the room, the messenger broke free from Mineos' steady grip and kicked him directly in the stomach. A quick shot from one of the guards hit the bastard in the shoulder before he jumped through the window and fell onto the streets of Banlao. A quick glance out the window showed no sign of life. He had fallen to his death and his body continued to bleed from his bullet wound.

Mineos rushed towards his best friend, who was lying against his desk at this point, putting pressure on the wound. He tore a piece of cloth from his jacket and held it onto the blood. A groan came from Zippie's mouth.

"Shit.. This hurts like hell.." exhaustion made him grasp for air between words.

Mineos looked at the guards and yelled at them to get the nearest doctor available as fast as possible. His eyes focused on the wound again.

"I don't think it's that bad.. you'll be fine, just hold on until the doctor arrives.."

Only minutes later, a doctor rushed up the stairs, clamping onto a heavy satchel filled with tools and herbs. He kneeled down next to Zippie and urged the other to step aside. Carefully, he took away the cloth and ripped the shirt further for working space.

"Looks like you've been very lucky today, Sir. No vital places were hit and the wound isn't very deep. I should be able to patch you up easily, but you'll have to lay down for a long while." The doctor said very seriously. "And I suggest you don't get into any fights again, for your sake ofcourse."

"What the hell was that all about? You're clearly not safe anymore." Mineos was very concerned about his best friend. The situation got out of hand really quickly and nothing made sense.

"I think I know, but it's impossible, it's just a story." Zippie pulled his friend closer as the doctor patched up his wound and put a large bandage around his waist. He took a deep breath and started telling a very old legend.

…

A wave gushed over the edge, causing Evanz' boots to overflow. He took them off and held them upside down, getting rid of all the water, sand and even tiny sea creatures. After they were emptied, he put his boots back on and continued to make sure all cannons were safely tied to the ship, until another wave filled his boots.

"So you're telling me that some fairy tale has come to life and murdered your entire crew, except for you five?" Fluke's hat covered his eyes, but the grin on his face was enough for Mez to realise that he wasn't taking her story all too seriously, but she just nodded. A blanket covered her shivering body, still wet from the storm, at least they were inside the captain's cabin. She was tired, exhausted actually. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do at this point. Her shoulder still hurt immensely. Hollow used a very sharp dagger to pry out the bullet, after which he cauterized the gaping hole.

"For the last time, it's not a fairy tale! I SAW him, with MY OWN EYES!" She slammed a fist on the table, an empty flask fell to the floor from the impact. Mez' anger had been bottled up way too long now. "Do you want the full story again? Weren't you listening? It wasn't some stupid corrupt government ship, it was … forget it. We're all dead anyways. He's back and probably out to retrieve something. Most likely that something is power."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? THAT 'S THE FOURTH TIME SHE BEAT ME." Rage screeched and threw his cards on the table. "You're obviously cheating." He mumbled and pointed a finger at Hatter, one of the five survivors. She smiled and tipped her soaking wet top hat, pulled out a notebook and self-made quill and started writing. Kia, Hatter's best friend and co-mapmaker, leaned over to read along whilst drawing small sketches on a piece of parchment.

Curaxu had returned and this time he didn't plan on leaving any time soon.


End file.
